Across the border – Book I - 12 Chapter

Nina looked at the dress and the fruit next to her. She could not decide if she could eat that or not, so she lifted her head and looked at Peter.

Until Nina lifted her head, Peter was quietly staring at her but the moment her eyes were about to meet his, he shifted his whole body and started walking near Robert. He behaved as if he did not care if she took them or not. Even though he was walking in the opposite direction his heart was beating faster than normal.

“Stop!”Nina shouted, which made Elly jump up in horror.

Peter stopped but did not turn around. He was thinking of a way to confront her refusal and make her eat at least.

Nina ran towards Peter and held his hand. He looked surprised and looked at the tiny hand which held his wrist.

“You cannot touch him yet”, Nina pointed at Robert.

“Why?” Peter asked.

“I said you cannot! Then you cannot! It is an order” Nina stood in between Peter and Robert in a protective stance.

At first, Peter did not know that he was walking towards Robert as it became a habit for him; whenever he faced any issue or if his feelings were flustered he would run to Robert.

While looking at her standing like a brave little soldier ready to attack any moment, a small smile spread across Peter’s face and his eyes glowed.

Elly turned her head to look at Peter first and then at Nina but could not decide once again whose side should she take? She blinked her beautiful round eyes and moved it to one side after another and finally, it landed where Robert was; as the leaf slowly was pushed away and out came Robert with five eyes.

Nina turned around to look at him and instantly jumped on Peter and held on to him tight.

“He…He has… five eyes” Nina shuttered while hugging peter tightly.

“Yes! He does, doesn’t he?” Peter said, still trying to figure out where to place his hand? Should he hold her, so that she would fall or just to let her fall down?

Robert got up and moved his hands before his face which made his eyes disappear. He looked like everyone else.

“I am so sorry! I frightened you.” Robert came near Peter and Nina.

Nina hugged Peter even more tightly and hid her face in his chest. Peter patted her head trying to soothe her.

She turned her head slightly and looked in between her hair. When she saw Robert, all she saw was two eyes and an innocent look.

Nina climbed down from Peter and bent her knees and stood in an apologizing way.

“I am the one who should be sorry! I overreacted. Please forgive me!”, Nina stood still and showed stubbornness while waiting for Robert to forgive her.

Robert just patted her back and said “Get up my junior sister. In our clan whatever naughtiness our sisters do, they do not have to apologize. We brothers always take good care of them. Since you saved us, we will always be indebted to you Princess Nina”

Nina stood up straight and smiled between her hair. Peter looked at her and thought if only she tied her hair, it would look much better and remove the gloominess around her.

“Let’s introduce ourselves first, I am the great Robert!…”Before Robert could finish, Peter coughed hard… Robert ran towards the backpack and took a pouch with water.

“I am Peter. This is my sister Elly.” He started telling her about how they came here and what happened later before they met her…

Robert just held the pouch and looked at Peter in awe. The boy who is always shy to talk to girls kept on narrating stories and even made Nina laugh. It all looked unreal to him and he started rubbing his eyes.

Elly held Robert’s and pinched him. Even she was thinking if all this is actually happening.

“Ouch” Robert shook his hand in pain due to Elly’s pinch.

“Why did you pinch me?” Rubbing his arm, Robert started at Elly. But his anger disappeared the moment he saw Elly’s sad face.

“I just wanted to check that this is not a dream. It all feels too unreal. First, my grandma turned into some whom we do not know and then you became a roll into a sandwich and now Peter is talking to a girl without being shy. I still could not believe that we are all together” Elly said in awe.

Elly never imagined that she had been with a witch because whatever she did exactly resemble grandma Rosie. She started fearing if her grandma is alright or not.

“Robby, I am afraid that something might have happened to grandma. We need to find her as soon as possible.” Elly said to Robert while running towards the cage.

Nina flew from her place and stood in between the cage and Elly. The cage burnt her skin in the back and made marks. Peter went and held her before Nina could fall down.

Robert and Elly looked at one another in shock. Peter struggled to hold Nina as her back was burnt and he felt that the temperature of her body increased to very high.

Elly moved forward to help Peter but Peter shouted at her, “Stay back. Do not come near.”

Peter never shouted at Elly before, she got a little jealous by the way Peter treated Nina. Elly started crying and in between her sobs, she said, “I didn’t mean to hurt her. I did not know that touching the cage would hurt. All I wanted to do was find Grandma Rosie, as she might be in danger. I didn’t even know why she came before me and protected me. I am sorry… I am so sorry”.

Elly knelt down and wept. Robert held her shoulders and stared at Peter. But before he could speak, Peter said “We both are poisoned. That’s why I asked Elly to not come. So, don’t you dare start your lecture now? Quickly find the Minia’s who treated you. They might help us in finding a cure for us both”

Robert found the horn on the corner where Nina was sitting before but before he could reach that place, the wall behind them was broken with magic.

“Daddy!” Robert exclaimed but he stopped himself from going forward as he felt that his daddy left him and his mother to suffer in that desert all by themselves.

So he just turned his back towards him and started walking towards the horn. Looking at his son who is ignoring him made his father, Peter think that his kid had grown up in just a few days.

He went near Peter and Nina and examined them. Looking at the poison spreading through their veins, the condition did not look too good. And getting the antidote before it can spread through the body might be difficult.

He turned and looked at his foolish son once more, who is now trying to blow the horn. He just thought his son, Robert has grown but looking at his stupid act, he just shook his head.

“Elly, stop him from blowing that horn. It won’t listen to anyone other than Nina and it may contain some other lethal poison which in turn will create more mess than he already is in” James scoffed at Robert.

James looked around and saw the leaves lying around. He became angry and stood up. He went near Robert and held his collar, “Did you separate him from you again? How many times do I have to tell you not to do that? What if one day you realize he vanished altogether? Till that time won’t you stop hurting him?”

Robert held his dad’s hand and looked at his eyes without fear and said, “Nothing would happen to him. Peter needed my help and mom won’t allow me to go. Didn’t you say, if your friend is in danger it is even ok to not worry about our lives and help? That is what we both did and I don’t fear you, so leave my collar. You are choking me!”

James left him and wondered what happened to Linda who is supposed to come after checking the surroundings. He turned to Elly and instructed her to pack all their belongings.

After Elly and Robert packed their stuff, Elly asked James, “Uncle, can we free all those animals and people? They have suffered a lot already and I feel we should not abandon them”

James looked ahead but he knows it will be too risky if they are exposed and he did not want to take that risk with so many children with him. His first priority was to see to it that these children escaped safely.

“We cannot take them now, but I will make sure to come back again and release them and even if required I will send them to their own planets. I promise” James promised Elly, as he knows that it would be difficult if she refused to leave with him now and time is running out.

His team cannot hold the barrier for this place for long as they were already too tired because of this war. They would have not even agreed to come if they knew that this witch was involved in all these in the first place.

“Don’t expect anything from him, Elly, he would never keep his promise. Look at me and my mother for example.” Robert looked at James with disdain.

James controlled his anger and his temptation to hit his child. He just said,

“Let us talk about who did not keep the promise once your mother is also here. Why don’t we do one thing, let us better wait for the witch to come and destroy my whole team and us all together, then you will be satisfied”